The 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro came with a declaration by leaders of the now-expanded bloc, reaffirming their collective commitment to building a more inclusive, fair, and sustainable global governance system. Held under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance,” the summit brought together heads of state from BRICS nations who pledged to deepen collaboration across politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and people-to-people cooperation.
In their joint statement, the leaders emphasized the BRICS spirit rooted in mutual respect, sovereign equality, solidarity, openness, and consensus. As the grouping celebrates 17 years of cooperation, the Rio Declaration marked a renewed effort to amplify the voice of the Global South and reshape the international order in ways that better reflect today’s multipolar world.
A key milestone of this year’s summit was the formal admission of Indonesia as a new BRICS member, alongside the recognition of Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as BRICS partner countries. These additions reflect the bloc’s growing appeal and its strategic pivot toward an inclusive “BRICS+” model that brings more emerging economies into its fold.
The leaders also endorsed several forward-looking initiatives, including the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, which aims to strengthen the bloc’s collective voice in securing climate commitments from wealthier nations. The summit also saw the adoption of the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, underscoring the need for equitable and responsible AI development that benefits all countries, not just a select few.
Another notable outcome was the launch of the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases, a health-focused initiative that seeks to address long-standing inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes across member and partner states.
With these major developments, the 2025 BRICS Summit reaffirms the group’s ambition to serve as a leading platform for South-South cooperation, institutional reform, and collective actions on global challenges.
